Getting 2 female rats tomarrow?

my mom and i are going to look at female rats tomarrow, and i want to know things to look out for while choosing the rats, what stuff to get for the rats, and some general knowledge on rats. ONLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ANSWERS PLEASE!!!!Getting 2 female rats tomarrow?
Hey hun!!!!! i answered your other question the other day about convincing your mom to let you get the rats! i'm so glad she let you after!





i have 2 rats as well(boys) like i said before and i find it takes a little longer for them to open up to you when there is two rather then 1, since they have eachother as company. just be patient. for now just start off by opening the rats cage door and sit infront of it and let them come to the door to sniff around! they may run when you reach for them but thats expected. slowly stick the back of your hand out and let them smell you! once they do this a few times and get used to your smell start holding little treats in your hand like (i find the yourgert treats for rodents are their fav) the pack should tell you how many a day they should have. after a few days they will get the idea that if they come to the door they will get a treat. i used to feed my rats through the side of the cage but i try not to dothat now since if i just stick my finger there now they think its a treat and grab for it. after a while when they take treats from you stick your hands in the cage as they eat and just leave it there. they should come back over and sniff your hand maybe even lick it. after you do this a few times you should be able to pet them as they eat.





i have so much little things i want to email you but when i went into your account and added you as a contact it said you don't accept emails. but id you accept my contact invite every question you ask will be emailed to me and visa versa! i noticed on occasion my room can get a little chilly and i was worried that my little guys might be a little chilly so i looked up things i could make temporarely for them to sleep in to keep them warm until i get to the pet store and found and amazing site all about rats and how they have been with man for over a milennia but yet we know so little about them. this site expains everything about them from, being experimented on, typical characteristics, weight size, patterns, personalities, having babies, etc..... its alot of reading and there are pictures but i think it might be interesting to read. http://www.awionline.org/pubs/cq02/Cq-ra鈥?/a>


well i guess instead of pen pals we could be pet pals!!! hahahaha that probably sounds corney! well if you wanted to talk about our rats together you can email me in my account. you might already know how to do that but just incase i will say anyways. click on my name and you will be in my account. next to where it says i am whatever% it should say email jadestone22. if you have msn or something and want to answer eachothers questions about different things to do with your rats your more then welcome. anyways later hun and like i said be patient with them and they will open right up to you!!!Getting 2 female rats tomarrow?
I found the perfect website for you...





http://hubpages.com/_answer/hub/Caring-f鈥?/a>





I have had female rats before. When choosing your new rats, make sure that they have clear eyes, good weight, and are alert. Females tend to be more alert and curious, so if the females that you're looking at seem a little laid back, you may want to go to a different store.





Don't rush into picking your rats, if you aren't 100% comfortable that the ones that you're looking at aren't healthy, then you want to wait or check out a different place. You will end up paying more for vet bills if you end up with sick rats. Plus, typically it can be hard getting rats from pet stores because many of them already have an upper respiratory infection.





You want to get wooden housing supplies, and top brand rat blocks like Mazuri. The Forti-Diet brand, is commonly sold but it's too fatty for rats, even though it's for rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils.





Rats need a lot of stimulation, so make sure to get a fairly big cage that you can add loads of toys, such as ladders, hammocks, and tunnels.





Definitely check out the above site, as you'll find info for healthy treats, homemade treat recipes, toys, housing tips, health tips, and more.
It's helpful if you know what sort of cage you're going to be keeping them in before you pick them out. Picking out a cage for your rats can be tricky, partially because petstore employees are rarely very knowledgeable about their requirements, and partially because they do not usually set cages specifically for rats. Keep in mind that rats are very intelligent, so it is best to buy the largest cage you can afford so that you'll have plenty of room for toys. Rats in petstores are usually very young, and will grow a lot. Keep this in mind when picking out your cage. Your young rats may look fine in a tiny hamster cage...but such an environment will not be suitable for them when they get older.





I generally recommend getting rats from a rescue, or from a reputable breeder rather than a petstore. However I am aware that this is not always an option. Animals from breeders and rescues are usually in good health and have already been tamed. Rescues will usually have handraised babies from ';oops'; litters, so you will usually have the option to adopt a young rat. However, if this is not an option for you, animals from petstores will usually make fine pets. However you need to keep in mind that they are usually kept in sup-par conditions, which can lead to diseases...and are usually not handled very much.





The first thing you should check is make sure that the petstore separates its males and females. To put it bluntly, male rats, even young male rats, have very noticeable ';bits';. If you notice males and females living in the same cage there is a very good chance that any of the females will be pregnant. Secondly, you should check the overall condition of the store. If you notice a lot of sick animals, or dirty cages, you should be cautious about purchasing animals from that store, as your new rats could be sick. Look at the rats for any visible signs of illness: such as sneezing and reddish discharge coming from their eyes and nose.





Depending on their personalities, you usually should give them a day to get used to their new home. However some rats will adjust quicker than others, if your rats are curious and seem to want to interact with you on the first day...then interact with them. If they seem like they need more time, give it to them.
We used to breed rats and had manymany pet ones


They're AWESOME pets, and they all have different personalities, so how long it will take for the rat to get used to you depends on it.


It shouldn't take that long, unless you have a very grmpy rat. They're very sociable and playful and curious. Maybe a week or two?
rats are great pets and im glad ur getting them.





for two rats you would want a nice barred cage preferably one with squares, mine is one with bars going across but not up and down.


yogies are a tasty treat that rats love and will help learn tricks when the time comes for that. the easiest trick you can teach them is their name. say their name before you give them a yogie (or other treat) get two little huts one small one a little bigger so that they can be together in one or separate in two. I prefer an outside water bottle if you can get one. a 16oz. water bottle is good. i had an 8oz. but it was too small and got an extra outside 16 ouncer. for food i would get some ';harlan teklan lab block'; or ';oxbow: regal rat';. bedding: either ';carefresh'; or ';soft sorbent';(i use soft sorben). change the bedding once a week and


BEST OF LUCK WITH YOU NEW RAT FRIENDS.
All you need to know about basic rat care:





How to socialize new/nervous rats: http://www.basicrat.com/social.html





Diet (believe it or not, pet store 'rat food' is pretty horrible): http://www.basicrat.com/diet.html





Habitat (Cages vs. aquariums, minimum size requirements): http://www.basicrat.com/habitat.html





Bedding (NO pine, cedar, or other softwoods): http://www.basicrat.com/bedding.html








There is more on the website, but it's easy to navigate :)